The results for World Mayor 2005 were announced on 6 December 2005
FRONT PAGE
SiteSearch
About us
Mayor Monitor
Directories
Events
Debate
World Mayor 2010 (Nominations sought)
World Mayor 2008 (Results)
World Mayor 2008 (Shortlist)
World Mayor 2006 (Results)
World Mayor 2005 (Results)
World Mayor 2004 (Results)
City Mayors reports news from towns and cities around the world. Worldwide | Elections | North America | Latin America | Europe | Asia | Africa | Events |
Mayors from The Americas, Europe. Asia, Australia and Africa are competing for the annual World Mayor Award. More
City Mayors ranks the world’s largest as well as richest cities and urban areas. It also ranks the cities in individual countries, and provides a list of the capital cities of some 200 sovereign countries. More
City Mayors lists and features urban events, conferences and conventions aimed at urban decision makers and those with an interst in cities worldwide. More
City Mayors reports political events, analyses the issues and depicts the main players. More
City Mayors describes and explains the structures and workings of local government in Europe, The Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa. More
City Mayors profiles city leaders from around the world and questions them about their achievements, policies and aims. More
City Mayors deals with economic and investment issues affecting towns and cities. More
City Mayors reports on how business developments impact on cities and examines cooperation between cities and the private sector. More
City Mayors describes and explains financial issues affecting local government. More
City Mayors reports urban environmental developments and examines the challenges faced by cities worldwide. More
City Mayors reports on and discusses urban development issues in developed and developing countries. More
City Mayors reports on developments in urban society and behaviour and reviews relevant research. More
City Mayors deals with urban transport issues in developed and developing countries and features the world’s greatest metro systems. More
City Mayors examines education issues and policies affecting children and adults in urban areas. More
City Mayors investigates health issues affecting urban areas with an emphasis on health in cities in developing countries. More
City Mayors examines the contributions history and culture make to urban society and environment. More
City Mayors describes the history, architecture and politics of the greatest city halls in the world. More
City Mayors invites readers to write short stories about people in cities around the world. More
City Mayors questions those who govern the world’s cities and talks to men and women who contribute to urban society and environment. More
City Mayors profiles national and international organisations representing cities as well as those dealing with urban issues. More
City Mayors reports on major national and international sporting events and their impact on cities. More
City Mayors lists cities and city organisations, profiles individual mayors and provides information on hundreds of urban events. More
More than 87,000 took part in
the World Mayor 2005 project
By Tann vom Hove, Editor
During the second stage of the 2005 World Mayor contest, between early June and 26 October 2005, more than 87,000 people from around the world cast their votes for mayors they believed should win this year’s World Mayor Award. During the first, open, round some 550 mayors from Asia, Africa, Europe and The Americas were nominated for the 2005 World Mayor Award. Based on the nominations, the City Mayors editorial board, the organisers of World Mayor, drew up a short list of 65 mayors to compete for this year’s Award. The winner will be announced on 6 December.Dora Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens, wins the 2005 World Mayor Award.
The World Mayor project, organised by the independent and non-commercial City Mayors organisation, aims to raise the profile of Mayors worldwide as well as to honour those who have served their communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being of cities nationally and internationally. Last year’s winner of the World Mayor Award was Edi Rama, Mayor of Tirana. The Mayor of Mexico City, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, was runner-up.
At the close of the open nomination round, which stretched from January 2005 to the end of May, the City Mayors editorial board drew up a short list of 65 mayors to compete for this year’s World Mayor Award. The winner will be announced on 6 December.
The selection of the 65 finalists was based equally upon the number of nominations received by each Mayor and on the quality and conviction of supporting statements. When setting up the rules for the competition, City Mayors emphasised that the strength of argument was as important as the number of nominations. By stressing the importance of well-expressed comments, City Mayors ensured that the competition participants thought carefully about the merits of their chosen mayors. The rules also ensured that a good mayor from a small city could compete on equal terms against one from a large metropolis.
Indeed, supporters of Mayors of smaller, less known cities, wrote some of the most heartfelt comments. One commentator said of Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga (Canada), that she would be forever in the hearts of her residents. Edward Zabrocki, Mayor of Tinley Park (USA), was described as the epitome of what an elected official should be. The Mayor of Tilburg (Netherlands) Ruud Vreeman, is complimented for his good ‘antenna’. “He stimulates people to regain their neighbourhoods.”
Of the big city mayors, the former Mayor of Mexico City had the most passionate following. “Andrés Manuel López Obrador is the best mayor in the history of Mexico City and in the history of this country. He doesn’t rob like most other Mexican mayors and presidents. He has built a new Mexico City,” said one commentator. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, according to one of her supporters, made the people of Atlanta believe in their city again. Martin O’Malley, Mayor of Baltimore, is praised for his hands-on approach, while Michael Bloomberg, New York City, is admired for his business-like methods in relation to city government.
In Europe, Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome, has won the gratitude of many who attended Pope John Paul’s funeral and Pope Benedict’s election. “We would like to thank the Mayor for the hospitality Rome has shown to all those attending the funeral of Pope John Paul and the election of Pope Benedict.”
Dick Hubbard, Mayor of Auckland (New Zealand), is ‘saluted’ for his decision to preserve Auckland’s heritage and to deny building permission for badly designed buildings.
In Pakistan, the 70-year-old former Mayor of Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, is described as a ‘gentleman’ who worked non-stop for the world’s fifth largest city. “The Mayor has changed the city with limited resources available to him. He has built lots of good parks for children and their mothers. He completes his projects on time. He is an example of good governance.”
With the exception of Edi Rama, last year’s winner of the World Mayor Award, all mayors from the 2004 contest were eligible to take part this year. The short list of 65 finalists for the 2005 Award includes three mayors from Africa, nine from Asia, two from Australia, 19 from The Americas and 32 from Europe.
Africa is represented by Mayors from Ethiopia, Madagascar and South Africa. China and Japan have contributed two Mayors each to the nine Asian finalists. Other Asian Mayors come from Pakistan, Taiwan, Turkey, Iran and the Philippines. The Mayors of Melbourne and Auckland represent Australia and New Zealand.
Of the 19 Mayors from The Americas, ten come from US cities, with a further four city leaders from Canada. Brazil is represented by the Mayors of Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mayor of Mexico City, and last year’s runner-up, is also one of this year’s 65 finalists.
The European group of Mayors in the 2005 short list is made up of representatives from all parts of the continent. Mayors from Russia, Lithuania, the Ukraine and Poland compete against those from western Europe, including London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Madrid and Berlin. But the list also includes Mayors from less prominent cities such as Innsbruck, Grenoble, Leipzig, Rhodes, Skopje, Tilburg, Saragossa and Hartlepool.
All readers of the City Mayors and World Mayor websites are eligible to take part in the World Mayor 2005 election. Participants are asked to vote for the mayor who, in their opinion, has all the qualities to become World Mayor 2005. Participants are also asked to back up their vote with a supporting comment, describing the qualities of their chosen mayors.
For the organisers of the World Mayor contest the quality of supporting comments for a mayor is as important as the number of votes he or she receives. The best comments are being published. More
The World Mayor Project is seeking outstanding mayors for the 2010 Prize
World Mayor 2010:
Is your mayor
among the best?
City Mayors, the international think tank on urban affairs, is seeking nominations for the 2010 World Mayor Prize. The Prize, which has been awarded since 2004, honours mayors with the vision, passion and skills to make their cities incredible places to live in, work in and visit. The World Mayor Project aims to show what outstanding mayors can achieve and raise their profiles nationally and internationally.
The organisers of the World Mayor Project are looking for city leaders who excel in qualities like: leadership and vision, management abilities and integrity, social and economic awareness, ability to provide security and to protect the environment as well as the will and ability to foster good relations between communities from different cultural, racial and social backgrounds.
If you think your mayor is among the best in the world, nominate him or her now
Previous winners
and runner-ups:
In 2004: Winner: Edi Rama (Tirana); Runner-up: Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico City}; In third place - Walter Veltroni (Rome)
In 2005: Winner – Dora Bakoyannis (Athens); Runner-up - Hazel McCallion (Mississauga); In third place - Alvaro Arzú (Guatemala City)
In 2006: Winner – John So (Melbourne); Runner up – Job Cohen (Amsterdam); In third place - Stephen Reed (Harrisburg)
In 2008: Winner – Helen Zille (Cape Town); Runner up - Elmar Ledergerber (Zurich); In third place - Leopoldo López (Chacao)
More